Motivational state, reward value, and Pavlovian cues differentially affect skilled forelimb grasping in rats

Mosberger, Alice C; Clauser, Larissa de; Kasper, Hansjörg

doi:10.1101/lm.039537.115

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 142 publications

(172 reference statements)

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“…This delayed separation suggests that at least in our experimental set-up, aspartame replacement does not facilitate learning trajectory. These findings are consistent with prior results indicating that reward palatability does not strongly influence learning in rodents (16).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

An automated homecage system for multiwhisker detection and discrimination learning in mice

Bernhard

Lee

Zhu

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Automated, homecage behavioral training for rodents has many advantages: it is low stress, requires little interaction with the experimenter, and can be easily manipulated to adapt to different experimental condition. We have developed an inexpensive, Arduino-based, homecage training apparatus for sensory association training in freely-moving mice using multiwhisker air current stimulation coupled to a water reward. Animals learn this task readily, within 1-2 days of training, and performance progressively improves with training. We examined the parameters that regulate task acquisition using different stimulus intensities, directions, and reward valence. Learning was assessed by comparing anticipatory licking for the stimulus compared to the no-stimulus (blank) trials. At high stimulus intensities (>9 psi), animals showed markedly less participation in the task. Conversely, very weak air current intensities (1-2 psi) were not sufficient to generate rapid learning behavior. At intermediate stimulus intensities (5-6 psi), a majority of mice learned that the multiwhisker stimulus predicted the water reward after 24-48 hrs of training. Both exposure to isoflurane and lack of whiskers decreased animals’ ability to learn the task. Perceptual learning was assessed and following training at an intermediate stimulus intensity, perception was likely heightened as mice were able to transfer learning behavior when exposed to the lower stimulus intensity. Mice learned to discriminate between two directions of stimulation rapidly and accurately, even when the angular distance between the stimuli was <15 degrees. Switching the reward to a more desirable reward, aspartame, had little effect on learning trajectory. Our results show that a tactile association task in an automated homecage environment can be monitored by anticipatory licking to reveal rapid and progressive behavioral change. These Arduino-based, automated mouse cages enable high-throughput training that facilitate analysis of large numbers of genetically modified mice with targeted manipulations of neural activity.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

An automated homecage system for multiwhisker detection and discrimination learning in mice

Bernhard

Lee

Zhu

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…We cannot 695 disentangle which of these two processes is more affected by motivation in our 696 paradigm. Although several studies have shown that the introduction of performance-697 contingent rewards also benefits the execution of motor skills (Mosberger et al, 2016;698 Wachter et al, 2009), the current results suggest that for implicitly trained skills that do 699 not allow for the pre-planning of movement this improvement is simply the result of a 700 global increase in movement speed and not skill-specific. 701…”

Section: Enhancement 624mentioning

confidence: 54%

“…As a 35 sequencing skill develops, these processes can be pre-planned, allowing for improved 36 performance (Ariani & Diedrichsen, 2019;Diedrichsen & Kornysheva, 2015). While 37 reward availability and increased motivation also improve performance of more complex 38 motor skills (Mosberger, De Clauser, Kasper, & Schwab, 2016;Wachter, Lungu, Liu, 39 Willingham, & Ashe, 2009), it remains unclear which stages of the motor planning 40 hierarchy from stimulus to movement (action selection, action execution, etc.) are 41 sensitive to these motivational effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rewards interact with explicit knowledge to enhance skilled motor performance

Anderson

Adkins²,

Gary³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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1From typing on a keyboard to playing the piano, many everyday skills require the ability 2 to quickly and accurately perform sequential movements. It is well-known that the 3 availability of rewards lead to increases in motivational vigor whereby people enhance 4 both the speed and force of their movements. However, in the context of motor skills, it 5 is unclear whether rewards also lead to more effective motor planning and action 6 selection. Here, we trained human participants to perform four separate sequences in a 7 skilled motor sequencing task. Two of these sequences were trained explicitly and 8 performed with pre-cues that allow for the preplanning of movements, while the other 9 two were trained implicitly. Immediately following the introduction of performance-10 contingent monetary incentives, participants improved their performance on all 11 sequences consistent with enhancements in motivational vigor. However, there was a 12 much larger performance boost for explicitly trained sequences. Furthermore, only on 13 explicit sequences was the size of this incentive-based enhancement correlated with the 14 amount of skill knowledge gained. We replicated these results in a second, pre-15 registered experiment with an independent sample. We conclude from these 16 experiments that rewards enhance both the pre-planning of movements as well as 17 motivational vigor. 18 19 20 21 Keywords 22Reward, sequence learning, motor learning, implicit, explicit, motor skills 23 24

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“…Fourth, the voluntary nature of the task extends the individual variation among the subjects, which may be utilized in detecting differences in learning capabilities. Since motor performance may be enhanced by increasing the motivation of the subjects (Mosberger et al 2016), we also planned to place food pellets on the pots as rewards for the successful jumps. However, it turned out later that the exploratory drive of the animals is enough for active participation in the task.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Following of aging process in a new motor skill learning model, “pot jumping” in rats

et al. 2019

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Impairment of procedural memory is a frequent and severe symptom in many neurological and psychiatric diseases as well as during aging. Our aim was to establish an assay in rats in which procedural learning and changes in performance can be studied on the long term. The work was done in the frame of a larger project aiming to establish a complex cognitive animal test battery of high translational value. The equipment was a 190-cm-diameter circular water tank where 12 flower pots were placed upside down in a circle with increasing distances (18–46 cm) between the adjacent ones. Male Lister Hooded and Long-Evans rats were allowed to move on the pots for 3 min. The arena was filled with shallow water to make the rats stay on the pots. Animals were obviously motivated to move around on the pots; however, the distance which required jumping (> 26 cm) meant a barrier for some of them. Development of motor skill was measured by the longest distance successfully spanned. A relatively flat bell-shaped age dependence was observed, with a peak at 13 months of age. A gradual decline in performance could be observed after the age of 20 months which preceded the appearance of overt physical weakness. Long-Evans rats showed more homogeneous performance and higher individual stability than Lister Hooded rats. The method is appropriate to study the development of motor learning and to follow its age-dependent changes. It may also serve as an assay for testing potential drugs for improving motor skills and/or procedural memory. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11357-019-00073-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Motivational state, reward value, and Pavlovian cues differentially affect skilled forelimb grasping in rats

Cited by 25 publications

References 142 publications

An automated homecage system for multiwhisker detection and discrimination learning in mice

An automated homecage system for multiwhisker detection and discrimination learning in mice

Rewards interact with explicit knowledge to enhance skilled motor performance

Following of aging process in a new motor skill learning model, “pot jumping” in rats

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